Snow Boot Removal Apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for assisting the removal of snow sports boots such as alpine ski boots and snowboard boots is described. The device includes a boot heel engagement member that cooperates with and engages the standard heel edge on a ski boot and a boot sole support that is forward from the heel engagement member. The heel engagement member and the boot sole support are either integral parts of a stable floor plate, or mounted to the floor plate and the floor plate has an extended rear portion. The boot sole support is elevated relative to the heel engagement member and has an angled surface that slopes downwardly toward the heel engagement member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to apparatus adapted for aiding in the removal of boots, and more specifically, a device especially designed to assist with the removal of snow sports boots such as ski and snowboard boots.

BACKGROUND

Both alpine skiing and snowboarding require that users wear specialized boots that engage the skis and snowboards, respectively. Thus, alpine skis and snowboards include bindings that attach the user's boots to the skis, or board as the case may be. There are many different types of boots on the market, but most are relatively heavy and stiff for the special purposes that they serve. Many skiers and snowboard riders have difficulty removing their boots—in the case of ski boots, because the boots tend to be heavy and stiff, especially when they are cold—qualities that can be desired from a performance perspective, but which contribute to the boots being difficult to take off. This difficulty is exacerbated when the skier is tired at the end of the day, or when the skier's feet are cold and/or when the boots themselves are cold and as a result not very pliant. While snowboarding boots are not typically as rigid as alpine ski boots, they can nonetheless be difficult to take off at the end of the day.

Given these difficulties, it is not surprising that there are several prior art devices that are aimed at helping with snow sport boot removal. Examples, include the devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,135,331, 4,666,070 and 4,768,687.

Where there is a recognized problem, there is always an ongoing need for innovative solutions and apparatus that assist skiers and boarders to remove their boots.

The present invention comprises a snow sport boot removal apparatus that is designed to make removal of boots, especially alpine ski boots and snowboarding boots very easy. The inventive device is defined in a lightweight and easily transportable yet robust unit that is preferably fabricated in multiple pieces or in one piece by injection molding. The device includes a boot heel engagement member that cooperates with and engages the standard heel edge on a boot and a boot sole support that is forwardly spaced apart from the heel engagement member. The heel engagement member and the boot sole support are either integral parts of a stable floor plate, or mounted to the floor plate and the floor plate has an extended rear portion. The boot sole support is elevated relative to the heel engagement member and has an angled surface that slopes downwardly toward the heel engagement member.

The apparatus of the present invention is used by the skier inserting the heel plate of one boot under the heel engagement member and resting the sole of the boot on the boot sole support. In this position the front of the ski boot is elevated higher than the heel. The skier may then remove her boot by pulling her heel upward and out (with the boot's closure systems disengaged, of course).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will be apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top, rear perspective view of a first illustrated embodiment of a snow boot remover according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top, front perspective view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom, front perspective view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is top plan view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the snow boot remover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective and exploded view of a second embodiment of a snow boot remover according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective and exploded view of the second embodiment of the invention, illustrating the snow boot remover from the lower side.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of the snow boot remover according to the present invention with the heel engagement member removed.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the snow boot remover shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment of the snow boot remover according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is a rear elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

FIG. 17 is an upper and rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

FIG. 18 is a lower and front perspective view of the second embodiment of the snow boot remover according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the heel engagement member according to the second embodiment of the invention, shown in isolation.

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 19.

FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 20 is a rear elevation view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a rear elevation view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 is an upper perspective view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 24 is a lower perspective view of the heel engagement member shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 25 is a side elevation view of a conventional alpine ski boot of the type used with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It will be understood that relative directional terms are used at times to describe components of the invention and relative positions of the parts. As a naming convention, the plane of the floor in a space such as a ski lodge is considered to be a generally horizontal surface. Other relative directional terms correspond to this convention: “upper” refers to the direction above and away from the floor or ground plane; “lower” is generally in the opposite direction, “inward” is the direction from the exterior toward the interior of the snow boot remover, “vertical” is the direction normal to the horizontal ground plane, “forward” is the direction toward the front of a user's ski boot as the device is used and “rearward” is the opposite direction, toward the heel of a ski boot, and so on.

A first embodiment of a snow boot removal apparatus according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 9. The first embodiment is described below. A second embodiment of a snow boot removal apparatus according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 10 through 24; it is described after the first embodiment. In the description and drawings, like structures in the different embodiments are assigned like reference numbers.

Turning now to the drawings, and for purposes of both background information and context, a conventional alpine ski boot 1 is shown in FIG. 25. As noted above, there are innumerable different types of these boots on the market—that shown in FIG. 25 shown for the structures that it incorporates that are common to nearly all such boots, and which are important from the perspective of the invention described below. More specifically, both the ski boot 1 has an elongate sole plate 3 that extends along the length of the boot and a heel binding plate 4. In the case of the alpine ski boot 1, the sole plate 3 is essentially rigid (although there are variations in different types of boots) and the heel binding plate 4 that extends outwardly from the back of the boot defines a binding engagement edge 5 that is adapted to engage the heel piece of standard bindings that are mounted to skis. Since alpine ski binding dimensions tend to be somewhat standardized between manufacturers, the dimensions of the heel edge on all alpine ski boots tend to be very standardized. The invention may also be used with snowboarding boots, which are not shown in the drawings but which tend to be more flexible than alpine ski boots and attach to a snowboard with ankle and toe straps that extend over the top of the boot and which are tightened with ratchets and the like. As such, the heel edge 4 on a snowboard boot does not have a distinct functional purpose for attaching the boot to a snowboard—the heel edge 4 in the snowboard boot is thus less pronounced that the binding engagement edge 5 of the ski boot 1. Regardless of variations between the boots made by different manufacturers, the elements referenced above, namely, the sole 3 and the heel edge 4 and the binding engagement edge 5 are common to all alpine ski boots.

With reference now to the first embodiment of the invention, and more particularly, the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9, in FIG. 1, a first illustrated embodiment of a snow boot removal apparatus 10 according to the present invention is illustrated in perspective view. Apparatus 10 is defined by three primary structural components shown generally as base plate 12, heel engagement member 14 and sole support 16. Each of these is described in detail below. Apparatus 10 is preferably fabricated in a unitary piece and of a plastic material that is relatively rigid and preferably robust since the product is used in relatively rough environments and ski boots can be heavy. Of course, the apparatus may be fabricated in multiple pieces and from other materials, and the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 through 24 show a multi-piece apparatus 10. Dimensions of various parts of apparatus 10 are exemplary only and are not meant to be limiting in any way.

Base plate 12 extends rearwardly from the heel engagement member and widens laterally to define an extended foot support platform 18 that defines very stable base upon which a user (or another person) may rest one foot. The base plate preferably includes plural openings 30, which allow snow to fall through the base plate during use of the apparatus.

Heel engagement member 14 is operatively defined by a forward-facing U shaped cup 20 that has a lower edge 22 that is elevated above the base plate 12 by a distance that allows the heel of a ski boot 1 to be slid into the cup 20 with the lower edge 22 engaging the binding engagement edge 5 of the boot 1 in a manner analogous to the way that a standard ski binding heel piece engages the heel engagement edge of the boot when the skier steps into his or her bindings. This elevation is nominally about 1.5 inches. The lower edge 22 defines a lip that engages the binding engagement edge 5 of a ski boot, as described below. The width of the U-shaped cup 20 is wider than standard ski boots. It will be appreciated that this over-width construction allows the apparatus 10 to accommodate all ski boots and it further tends to “guide” the user's heel into the proper engagement during use.

The rearward surface (or forward-facing surface) 28 of the U-shaped cup 20 (i.e, the forward-facing surface above edge 22) is angled at approximately a 45 degree angle (sloping forwardly and downward as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2) in order to make it easier for a user to slip their boot into the apparatus 10. Thus, the sloped surface 28 allows the heel of ski boot 1 to slide into the heel engagement member 14 as the user steps into apparatus 10.

The sole support member 16 is located forward of heel engagement member 14 and is spaced therefrom by a distance that is less than the length of a ski boot. Ski boots of course come in many different lengths; the distance that the sole support member is spaced from the heel engagement member is intended to accommodate most ski boots such that when the heel of the boot 1 is engaged with the heel engagement member 14 as detailed below, the sole plate 3 of the boot us supported on the sole support member 16, and preferably near the ball of the user's foot. This will depend in large part on the length of the boot, but the dimensions are not critical to functionality of the apparatus. The distance from the forward most edge 24 of the sole support member 16 to the rearward most point of lower edge 22 is typically about 9.5 inches, but as with all dimensions described herein, this dimension may vary according to need.

The upper surface 26 of the sole support member 16 in sloped downwardly as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 so that the surface 26 angles downwardly from front toward the rear—the preferred angle is about 18 degrees but this is variable. The upper surface 26 of the sole support member 16 defines a platform on which the sole plate 3 of a ski boot 1 rests when apparatus 10 is being used. The upper surface 26 is positioned at a higher elevation above the base plate 12 than the lower edge 22 of the heel engagement member 14. As such, when a user puts her ski boot 1 in apparatus 10 the toe of the boot will be at a higher elevation than the heel. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9 the highest portion of the sole support member 16 is about 3.375 inches above the base plate 12, and as noted above, the elevation of lower edge 22 is about 1.5 inches above the base plate. Regardless of the particular dimensions, the surface 26 always defines an elevation relative to the base plate that is greater than the elevation of edge 22, so that the user's boot is always in a heel-down orientation during use.

The upper, exposed surfaces of apparatus 10 such as the foot support platform 18, and the upper surface of the heel engagement member 14 and the upper surface 26 of sole support member 16 may be coated with a high friction material such as adhesive-backed abrasive sheets if desired.

Use of apparatus 10 to remove a ski boot 1 from a skier's foot will be described with reference to all of the drawings. For purposes of this description it is assumed that the skier will be removing the ski boot 1 from her right foot. Apparatus 10 is placed on a flat surface such as the floor and the user may, if desired, place her left foot on the foot support platform 18 of base plate 12. With the heel of the right foot in a heel-down orientation (i.e., the user's toes are held higher than the user's heel), the user then guides the binding engagement edge 5 of the ski boot 1 into the U-shaped cup 20 and moves the boot in the rearward direction so that the binding engagement edge 5 lies under lower edge 22 of the heel engagement member 14. The angled surface 28 helps the user guide her foot into the cup 20, as noted above. Moreover, the opposed lateral sides of the cup 20 help to guide the rear of the boot into the heel engaging member. With the heel of the boot received in the heel engaging member, the user then orients her foot so that the sole plate 3 of the ski boot 1 is supported by and upon sole support member 16. As described above, because the upper surface 26 of sole support member 16 is at a higher elevation relative to base plate 12 than edge 22, the ski boot will in this position have a heel-down orientation—the user's heel is lower than the user's toes. At this point, the user pulls her foot upwardly. The binding engagement edge 5 of the ski boot 1 is engaged—hooked—under the lower edge 22 of the heel engagement member 14 and the rear of the boot is thus retained by the apparatus 10 against the force of the user's upwardly-moving foot. The sole support member 16 keeps the ski boot 1 oriented in the heel-down position, which aids in easing removal of the boot. As the user continues to lift her heel, the user's knee typically moves forward and this combined action results in the ski boot being easily removed. The sole support member 16 acts as an angled fulcrum in respect of the pivoting movement of the user's foot, although the ski boot does not pivot because the binding engagement edge 5 of the boot is engaged by the lower edge 22.

The same process is repeated to remove the left boot and the process is the same for removal of a snowboard boot.

Reference is now made to the series of drawings comprising FIGS. 10 through 24 in which a second embodiment of a snow boot removal apparatus 100 according the invention is disclosed. The snow boot removal apparatus 100 is functionally the same as apparatus 10 described above and includes the same primary structural components including a base plate 12, heel engagement member 14 and sole support member 16. However, in the embodiment of FIGS. 10 through 24 the heel engagement member is fabricated as a separated part from the base plate and the sole support member, which are a single unitary part, and the heel engagement member is attachable to the base plate with fasteners such as screws.

Apparatus 100 is shown in perspective and exploded view in FIGS. 10 and 11. Base plate 12 has the same basic configuration as that used with the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9 except the sole support member 16 and the forward end of the plate is formed as an upwardly and forwardly ramped support surface 102 that in use supports the sole plate 3 of the snow boot 1. The heel engagement member 14 is formed as a separate piece that has the same basic configuration, dimensions and functionality as that used with the first embodiment, and thus defines a forward-facing U-shaped cup 20 that receives the heel of the snow boot during use. The detachable heel engagement member 14 is attached to base plate 12 with plural fasteners such as self-tapping screws 104 that are inserted through bores formed in the base plate, as detailed below, including washers 105 if desired. In the embodiment illustrated there are nine tapping screws 104, and as seen in FIG. 14, there are nine bores 112 formed in base plate 12 through which the screws 104 may be inserted.

The apparatus 100 includes a non-slip pad 106 such as adhesive-backed sand paper on the upward-facing surface of the sole support member 16 and a non-slip pad 107 on the foot support platform 18 that is formed by the rearward portion of the base plate. The sole support member is formed with plural openings 108—three are shown in FIG. 10, and the non-slip pad 106 has three openings 108 that register with the openings 108 in the sole support 16. The openings 108 allow snow that may have accumulated on a skier's boots to fall through apparatus 100 during use. As may be seen in the perspective view of FIG. 11 and the bottom view of FIG. 14, the base member 12 is formed with conventional supporting ribs 110 to stabilize and strengthen the molded piece.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, which are a paired top plan view and a side elevation view of apparatus 100, respectively with the heel engagement member 14 removed, it may be seen that the foot support platform 18 is elevated slightly relative to the portion of the base plate immediately forward of the foot support platform where the heel engagement member is attached. This defines a U-shaped edge 114 (FIG. 12) that extends between the elevated foot support platform 18 and the relatively recessed portion 120 immediately forward of U-shaped edge 114, where the heel engagement member 14 mounts to the base plate 12.

The heel engagement member 14 is shown in isolation in FIGS. 19 through 24. The lower edge of the member (FIGS. 20, 24) has nine fastener-receiving bores 116 that are positioned to correspond to and register with the nine bores 112 in base plate 12 (see, e.g., FIG. 14) and which are configured for engaging the self-tapping screws 104 or other equivalent fasteners to securely but removably attach the heel engagement member 14 to the base plate 12. As best seen in FIG. 19, and as with the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9, the rearward surface 28 of the U-shaped cup 20 (i.e, the forward-facing surface above edge 22) is angled at approximately a 45 degree angle (sloping forwardly and downward as best seen in FIGS. 19 and 21) in order to make it easier for a user to slip heel of their boot into the apparatus 100, in the manner detailed above. The angled surface 28 extends at least partially around the U-shaped cup 20, and as seen in FIG. 19, the angle of the surface 28 increases moving from the rearward most point of the cup 20 to the forward, opposed edge portions of the cup 20.

With returning reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, the sole support member 16 is located forward of heel engagement member 14 and is a relatively long, sloping surface to accommodate ski boots of many different lengths so that when the heel of the boot is engaged with the heel engagement member as detailed above with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9, the sole plate 3 of the boot 1 is supported on the sole support member. To reiterate, the dimensions are not critical to functionality of the apparatus 100 or apparatus 10.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the upper surface 26 of the sole support member 16 in sloped downwardly and rearward toward heel engagement member 14 so that the surface 26 angles downwardly from front toward the rear—the preferred angle is about 18 degrees but this is variable. The upper surface 26 of the sole support member 16 defines a platform on which the sole 3 of a ski boot 1 rests when apparatus 10 is being used. The upper surface 26 is positioned at a higher elevation above the base plate 12 than the lower edge 22 of the heel engagement member 14. As such, when a user puts her ski boot 1 in apparatus 10 the toe of the boot will be at a higher elevation than the heel—that is, in the same heel-down orientation described above in respect of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 9.

Apparatus 100 is used in an identical manner to that described above for apparatus 10.

The apparatus described above and shown in the drawings is light and may easily be carried in a skier's backpack or other bag. In addition, the apparatus 10 may be advantageously placed in ski lodges as a courtesy to skiers (it may be secured to the floor if desired) and the device is very advantageously used by ski shops to assist potential buyers when trying on new boots for purchase or for rent.

While the present invention has been described in terms of preferred and illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that the spirit and scope of the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but extend to the various modifications and equivalents as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A snow sports boot remover comprising: a base plate; a heel binding edge engaging member having a lip at a first elevation relative to the base plate; a sole support member forward of said heel binding edge engaging member, the sole support member having an angled boot-sole-supporting surface.
 2. The boot remover according to claim 1 in which the boot-sole-supporting surface defines at least one surface that is at a second elevation relative to the base plate and wherein the second elevation is greater than the first elevation.
 3. The boot remover according to claim 2 wherein the heel binding edge engaging member is removably attached to the base plate.
 4. The boot remover according to claim 2 wherein the angled boot-sole-supporting surface is defined by a surface that slopes downwardly from the forward end of said surface toward said heel binding edge engaging member.
 5. The boot remover according to claim 4 in which the heel binding edge engaging member is defined by a substantially U-shaped and forward-facing member in which the opening into the U-shaped cupped member faces said sole support member.
 6. The boot remover according to claim 5 in which the U-shaped and forward-facing member includes boot heel edge engaging lip extending around the U-shaped and forward-facing member.
 7. The boot remover according to claim 6 in which the U-shaped and forward-facing member further defines a sloped surface that extends from the boot heel edge engaging lip in an upward and rearward direction.
 8. The boot remover according to claim 7 in which the sloped surface extends at least partially around the U-shaped and forward-facing member.
 9. The boot remover according to claim 8 wherein the sloped surface has its greatest angular slope at the rearward-most point of the U-shaped and forward-facing member.
 10. The boot remover according to claim 8 in which the base plate includes plural openings therethrough.
 11. The boot remover according to claim 1 in which the base plate includes a foot-supporting platform rearward of the heel binding edge engaging member.
 12. A method of removing a snow sports boot from a user's foot, the boot having a sole plate and a heel edge, the method comprising the steps of: a) engaging the heel edge on said boot under a heel edge engaging member so that said heel edge of said boot is captured beneath the heel edge engaging member and so that said heel edge is at a first elevation relative to a reference surface; b) supporting the sole plate of the boot on a sole supporting surface so that the toe of said boot is oriented at a second elevation that is greater than said first elevation relative to the reference surface; and c) removing said boot from said foot.
 13. The method according to claim 12 including the step of providing the heel edge engaging member and the sole supporting surface on a base plate that defines the reference surface.
 14. The method according to claim 13 including the step of the user placing one foot on the base plate rearward of the heel edge engaging member while removing the snow sports boot from the user's other foot.
 15. A snow sports boot remover comprising: a base plate; a forward-facing and U-shaped heel binding edge engaging member having a lip extending around the member; a sole support member forward of the U-shaped heel binding edge engaging member, the sole support member having a boot-sole-supporting surface.
 16. The snow sports boot remover according to claim 15 including boot heel guiding means for guiding the heel of a boot into the forward-facing and U-shaped heel binding edge engaging member.
 17. The snow sports boot remover according to claim 15 wherein the boot heel guiding means is defined at least in part by the forward-facing member further defining a sloped surface that extends from the lip in an upward and rearward direction
 18. The snow sports boot remover according to claim 15 wherein the boot heel guiding means is defined in part by the outer lateral edges of the U-shaped heel binding edge engaging member.
 19. The snow sports boot remover according to claim 15 in which the lip is at a first elevation relative to the base plate and the sole support member is at a second elevation relative to the base plate and wherein the second elevation is greater than the first elevation.
 20. The snow sports boot remover according to claim 19 in which the sole support member is defined by a surface that slopes downwardly from a forward end of said surface toward said heel binding edge engaging member and including plural openings formed in said surface. 